Forever Soulmates
by The Siege
Summary: After two painful years, Ash is finally ready to return to Mary-Lynette. These star-crossed lovers have been through so much, yet it looks as if fate is still not on their side... :D Changed to T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, one and all! :D I am The Siege, self-proclaimed, of course, and this is my first fanfic so please review (and be harsh if absolutely necessary! D: But otherwise, be nice, please and thankees XD) and...and...Well, yeah. Ummm...So enjoy (hopefully...)! =]

Oh right. Before I forget...

Disclaimer: Now, we all know what this says. but, I guess I gotta do it anyways. So...I do not, under no uncertain circumstances, own any part AT ALL of the Night World series or have any personal connection with the genius herself, L. J. Smith - though, of course, as overused as it may be, I must say: it would be totally freaking AWESOME if I did, no duh, but I don't, tears TT_TT, so yeah. Anyways, if you still feel like it now, please read on!

Oh, and don't forget to review! :D

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Mary-Lynnette Carter sighed. She was standing alone on her special hill, gazing at the stars through her beloved telescope. But after two years of waiting, two _long_ years, even the twinkling lights in the night sky could not save her from her overwhelming longing and despair. She felt lonely; she felt regretful; but mostly, she felt broken and basically not completely whole. Where was her other half, her knight in shining armor, her one and only soulmate?

WHERE WAS ASH?

...

Ash Redfern stood motionless on the outskirts of his Briar Creek, where his human soulmate lived. He ached to go to her, but he forced himself to turn around and sprint away. Two years of hard work and good deeds and NO Mary-Lynnette AT ALL; didn't he deserve some little reward after all he'd done? Just a tiny peek at her _town_ – not even _her_ – couldn't hurt! And yet he still felt guilty. He had gotten about as close as he could possibly get to breakings promise to himself. Two years earlier, he had vowed not bother Mary-Lynnette until he had made up for every single horrible thing he'd ever done that was weighing him down – to go back on that now, when he was so close to finishing, would be pointless and he was quite sure he'd never forgive himself. _Just a little longer,_ he thought. He ran blindly through the night. As night blended into day, he ran. As the sun set, he ran. He ran and ran until he finally stopped in familiar territory – Las Vegas.

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Okay, so I know this was a super short chapter (like, REALLY short XP) but there's more coming! ...To those of you who like it. =D Yes, you will find that I am, in fact, overtly pessimistic; it's art of my personality. For those of you who would like to read more: I'd suggest you get used to it. :D

And if I'm, like, really cheesy or something, PLEASE TELL ME, because I know that cheesiness = badness and I am trying to get away from my extreme badness in writing. :D

Well, then. Till next chapter! :D

Oh, and btw, there's actually already a short story about Ash and Mary-Lynnette two years later (by L. J. Smith, of course). It's on Miz Smith's website: . Just copy and paste that URL and it'll take you straight to her short stories. (She's got a bunch. They're all good. Duh. :P) I just felt like writing something about Ash and Mare and decided that having them come together was the best (and easiest, ahem) so yeah.

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© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! So, I'm back, whether you like it or not :D, and I've got more for you! I know, OMG. But here.

Right. Disclaimer. Well, you all know what THAT says, so I'll save you the annoyance of either reading or having to skip over it. :D I am just so nice and generous, aren't I?

* * *

Ash counted off on his fingers. _One…two…three…four…_That was thirty-three good deeds that he'd done to make up for thirty-three bad deeds. Only one more to go! He whooped with joy, only to realize: this was his worst deed of all. Then he plopped down onto the dirty ground and groaned his frustration at the clear blue sky, cursing himself to the deepest pits of Hell. Why the hell did he just run across the country when his last deed had been RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM?

…

Mary-Lynnette groaned enviously at her brother, Mark, and Jade, his vampire soulmate as, yet again, they held each other's hands and gazed adoringly into each other's eyes? The blissful smiles on their faces reminded Mary-Lynnette of her first kiss with Ash – her first kiss ever. It was awkward at first, but it was also wonderful, perfect – everything she'd hoped for in her first kiss. Unconsciously, she drifted off into happy memories of the short time she spent with Ash, arrogant Ash. She was still amazed that, supercilious as he was, they still managed to fall in love. Then she remembered that he wasn't with her – God knows where he was! She began worrying and wishing that she had never told Ash to leave her. All this heartache could NOT be healthy for her. Mary-Lynnette was not, all in all, ugly in any obvious way, but neither was she incredibly beautiful, like all vampires were. What if Ash had found someone else in his time away from her? Their soulmate status did not necessarily ensure that they be together, much as she wished it did.

Tears welled up in Mary-Lynnette's eyes. She quickly rubbed them away and steeled herself against her hypocritical thoughts. _No, _she thought fiercely, _I have to believe that our love is as strong as ever. I have to believe that our love will bring him back to me._

_

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_Alrighty~! So? What do you think? Dudes, remember: this is my very very very very FIRST fanfic. It's gonna be pretty crappy. But it's okay. Because YOU are going to review and tell me how to fix all my crap and I am not gonna listen to you. No, jk! :DDD If you give me pointers, I will most definitely take them under consideration. So. Please do. :D Later!

Write on. Read on. That's my motto.

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© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	3. Chapter 3

'Sup people! Here's the long-awaited (not) chapter 3! Please enjoy! Oh, and review! :D

Disclaimer: Aww, do I have to? Well, fine. I don't own the Night World series. That'd be awesome. But I don't. TT_TT

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Ash sauntered across the city, until he finally came across the oldest vampire in existence (since Maia was dead): Lord Thierry. And, of course, with him was his Old Soul soulmate Lady Hannah. Ash had explained his quest for redemption to Lord Thierry the first night Ash ran into him after he left Mary-Lynnette. Naturally, Lady Hannah was there, but Ash didn't mind her hearing his ordeal – after all she'd been through, his so-called "ordeal" was probably nothing. But still, her advice was useful, and nothing was "nothing" to Lady Hannah. In the beginning, Ash was reluctant to seem weak and cowardly after building up his bad boy reputation for so long. "Just do it," were Lady Hannah's words. She assured him that he'd feel much better once he'd gotten it over with. And he had to admit – only to himself, of course – that the heavy burden of his past was a lot lighter – in fact, it was almost gone. Just this one last deed and he'd be free from everything. Well, everything except for the memories.

"Lord Thierry, Lady Hannah," Ash began formally, but then he dropped the formality and just blurted, "I'm almost done!"

One elegant eyebrow flew up on Lady Hannah's delicate face. "And you would be referring to…what, again?"

"Well, my quest, of course. What else is there in my life for me to finish right now?" Ash grinned. "Not to make you sound ignorant or anything…"

Lady Hannah's lips curved up in a smile. "Of course not. And what is this last thing you need to do before you can make Mary-Lynnette's life perfect?"

Ash's smile slipped away. "Well, I can only hope that Mary-Lynnette will forgive me. I mean, I left her right after I, uh, confessed to her and all, and I kinda just left her hanging. I mean, I haven't had any contact whatsoever with her in two whole freaking years. And not just that, but what if she's found someone else, someone normal, someone _human_? I haven't even started to think about that!"

Lord Thierry laid a fatherly hand on Ash's shoulder, looking concerned. "Ash. Come on. You're soulmates. Even if she has found a human who is a whole lot better than you – which really isn't hard to do," Lord Thierry added, grinning but then struggled to be serious when Ash glared at him, "I mean, well, the silver cord is strong. No matter what, being soulmates will overpower any other affection. It's just the way it is. And besides, I'm sure Mary-Lynnette will stay loyal to you, even after all this time. I haven't met her yet, though I would love to, but from what you've told me about her, which I assume is basically nothing, she doesn't strike me as the type to shy away from her soulmate status for normality. After learning about the Night World and, well, meeting you, a sensible person like her must come to terms with the fact that they'll never be normal, again. If they ever were. Really, who is normal?" Lord Thierry stared off into the distance, pondering his own unanswerable question – one of life's many.

Lady Hannah rolled her eyes but said, "He's right, you know. If normal is [insert definition], then no one is normal."

Ash sighed, frustrated. "Well, I know, but you know what I mean. A human. I've done so many horrible things as a vampire; what if she's, I dunno, had an epiphany or something? She might've realized that I'm actually a horrible monster and who wants to spend their life with a monster?" He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. "Who knew having a soulmate would be so painful?"

Lady Hannah and Lord Thierry exchanged solemn glances, before looking back at the defeated teen vampire. Ash, having realized what he'd said, quickly raised his head and exclaimed, "I mean, well, of course that was only a rhetorical question and…!" He dropped his head again, groaning, "Sorry. That was careless of me." He stared unseeingly and unblinkingly at the ground, lost in his thoughts.

Lord Thierry tried to get Ash's attention. "Hey…Ash! Ash? Hello? Earth to Ash! HEY!"

Ash whipped his head around, alarmed. "What? What happened? Did I miss something?"

"Oh yeah. The world just ended, but you missed it," teased a grinning Lord Thierry.

Ash started to panic, but after a second he realized that Lord Thierry was messing with him. "Ugh. I never used to be gullible, I swear! What happened to me?"

Lady Hannah murmured gently, "You fell in love." She looked straight into Ash's strange eyes. "Now go! Mary-Lynnette's waiting." She gave his cheek a motherly pat and Lord Thierry ruffled Ash's sandy hair.

Ash, though not quite smiling, had an angelically boyish and hopeful expression etched on his face. He nodded eagerly and ran off toward his destiny.

"Who would've known that our Ash was such a romantic," mused Lady Hannah.

Lord Thierry cocked an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me?"

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So, whaddya think? Well, whatever. I'm working on my horrendous writing skills, okay?

Peace to all. B-)

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

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© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	4. Chapter 4

Heyyyy~! I'm back! I know, it's been a while (like forever!) but I've been super busy. Just started school, see, and I'm working my butt off on those "A"s, yup yup! ...I bette rget 'em...O.o

Aha! I remember..."The Disclaimer"!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Night World series. Still. I know. It's very sad. TT_TT

Hey. When's that last book comin' out anyways? :DDDDDD

* * *

Mary-Lynette paced around her room, anxious. In fact, she was more anxious than she'd ever been in the last two years. The cord linking her soul to Ash's got really thick a couple nights ago and she was almost positive that Ash was coming to her. But then it thinned out consistently until, a few days later, it was completely back to its former DNA-thin state. Yet now, she could feel it slowly but steadily thickening again, as if Ash was getting closer to her little by little. But she brushed the thought away. She hated being hopeful when she was pretty sure it was in vain.

She decided to take a walk. She refused to stay cooped up inside all day; it was killing her! She ran upstairs to let Mark know that she was going out. She burst through his door and immediately felt her cheeks warming as blood rushed to her face.

Jade and Mark were locked tightly in a _very _improper position.

Mary-Lynette stuttered, "Oh! Um, I was just…I-I mean I was…I'mleavingthehousetoyoudon'tdoanythingyou'llregretBYE!" Then, lightning-fast, she spun around and slammed the door loudly behind her as she dashed outside, into the world.

…

Mary-Lynette strolled randomly along the many little roads in Briar Creek, trying and majorly failing to get the image of Mark and Jade out of her head.

She was aimlessly wandering through a flower field, enjoying the fragrance and beauty of nature, when all of a sudden, there was a prickle in the back of her neck and a voice behind her called out, "Um, excuse me?"

Mary-Lynette whipped around and stumbled in her haste to see who the stranger was. She fell hard on her butt, amid some pretty pink and yellow flowers, and had a strange urge to laugh out loud. So she did. She laughed loud and hard, feeling insane but not wanting to stop.

Then she sobered up when a twinge in her heart remembered Ash and wished that he was there to share her mirth. And _then_, she remembered the guy who had shouted to her and probably thought she was mental. She turned around and jumped ten feet up. All of a sudden, the guy was right there next to her. She wondered when he got there; there'd been several yards between them, and she was pretty sure she hadn't laughed _that_ long. Had she? She shook her head, trying to clear her scrambled thoughts and focus on the stranger who was now sitting next to and staring at her.

Mary-Lynette opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it.

"Hey, sorry 'bout scarin' you. Your butt okay?" Blushing at the realization of what his odd question sounded like, he hastily added, "I-I mean, not that, you know, I was planning to check or anything." His face turned redder. "What I mean is…I'm not a pervert!" His red face flopped into his hands as he muttered, "Argh, this is coming out all wrong, dammit."

Mary-Lynette bit her lip to keep herself form bursting out laughing and embarrassing the guy even further. God, he was the total opposite of Ash, who was always so sure of himself. It was a somewhat refreshing change.

"It's okay, I know what you meant," she managed to choke out through her barely contained laughter. She added for good measure, "And my butt's fine, thanks." Unable to hold it in any longer, she let out her laughter and just let go, shaking uncontrollably. When she was done, she wiped away the tears in her eyes and faced the guy, saying, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, it's just…Sorry! That was funny. But in a cute way! Um…Hi, I'm Mary-Lynette. And you are?" Her abrupt change of subject cleared her mind and allowed him to retain what little dignity he still had.

She stuck out her hand and the guy shook it, his hand lingering a bit on her skin. "Ahem," he cleared his throat. "I'm Adam. Er, it's nice to meet you," he addressed her awkwardly.

"You too," Mary-Lynette replied warmly. "So, Adam," she began conversationally then grinned wickedly, "what were you doing sneaking up on me?"

Adam, still looking a bit pink in the face, replied honestly, "Well, I was just walking by and I saw you looking lost and, er, naturally pretty, standing among all these flowers. So I thought I had to come and talk to you. You know what happened after that." He looked into her eyes and smiled sweetly, then ducked his head and muttered, "Sorry 'bout that. Really."

Mary-Lynette waved off his apology. "Oh, don't worry. I was just off in my own world. And sorry about the laughing, too. You just looked do embarrassed and it was kinda cute." Realizing what she'd said, she slapped her hand over her mouth and turned slightly red herself. _God, Ash, _she thought giddily, on some weird high, _what have you done to Mary-Lynette? _

Then something Adam had said registered in her head. "Wait…Pretty? Me. No way." She turned to look at Adam. "You're lying, right?"

Adam shook his head hastily. "No! Really! I meant it. I mean, I mean it. You were standing her with your eyes closed, like you were breathing in nature or something, and you looked really beautiful…Really!"

Mary-Lynette's eyes narrowed. "You're not one of those guys who are really good at acting innocent but really you just throw out random lines to pick up girls and then when you're done, you toss 'em like trash? Are you? Wow, I said that all in one breath. Wait. So…you're not, right?" She stared at Adam expectantly.

Adam dramatically gasped and clutched at his chest. "You wound me, Mary-Lynette! You wouldn't really believe that, would you? I'm a truly nice guy!"

He grinned at her, a real grin, and tossed his long dirty blond hair out of his eyes that Mary-Lynette now saw were a clear green…and then all of a sudden, she was looking into Ash's lazy green cat eyes. She blinked and shook her head furiously.

Adam touched her shoulder with concern. "Are…are you okay? What's wrong? I was just kidding. I'm sorry! I didn't mean any of that, I swear!"

Mary-Lynette looked up and smiled a little. "No…I was just…seeing things. It's nothing. I'm fine. I should go." She stood up and dusted off her pants. Then she gasped. "Oh! Hey, do you wanna come over to my house for a bit? I really need to check on the house, in case my brother and his girlfriend were too, uh, busy, and let the house burn down or something, but I'd really like it if you would come with me. It's boring at home when your sibling all of a sudden has a love life, you see." Chuckling, she reached out her hand and offered, "C'mon. I'll help you up."

Wincing, Adam took her hand and grumbled, "I was hoping to get back some of my manliness but I've lost all hope for my ego now." He sighed and stood next to her, staring at her, green eyes twinkling. "Well then. Since I'm already a girl, lead the way!" He bowed in a gentlemanly fashion and swept his arm towards the road with a flourish.

Mary-Lynette squinted at him. "Did you just insult the entire female gender?"

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So! Reviewww~! Pleeeeeeeease! With lotsa your fave fruit on top ('cuz like, those weird fake-lookin' cherries they top like ice cream and stuff with? Yeah, kinda gross...D:) pwetty pweaseys! :DDD

Laters, gators! :P

Write on. Read on. That's my motto.

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© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	5. Chapter 5

'Sup! Okay, here's chapter6. :P Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Same old, same old. Still don't own Night World. Unfortunately. D:

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Ash felt the silver cord thin out almost to extinction. He felt a wave of warmth and happiness – but it wasn't directed at him. Suddenly, he felt as if he were being forgotten and left behind and a sense of foreboding hit him.

He thought uneasily as he sped up his pace, _I need to get to Mary-Lynette. Tonight._

. . .

"Hey Adam! You're staying for dinner!" Mark called out.

"Wow, he likes you so much already that he's gone into command mode," Mary-Lynette joked. "That doesn't happen very often."

"Hey!" Mark came storming over. "I'm not in 'command mode' or whatever! And I like people just fine!" He noticed Jade trying not to laugh. He marched over and slung a possessive arm around Jade. "See? I like Jade! Actually, no. I _love _Jade! Ha!" Mark's face was triumphant.

Mary-Lynette laughed. "Well, of course you do, silly. She _is_ your soulmate, after all."

Adam looked confused. "What? Soulmate? What's that?"

"Oh! No, I just meant – I mean, see, Mark and Jade are so in love that I always say that they were made for each other, "Mary-Lynette hurriedly corrected herself. "It's kind of like…an inside joke! Yes, that's it!" She forced a pained grin, but Adam didn't seem to notice the stiffness. Instead, he simply blushed at the big smile that was directed at him.

An awkward silence fell.

Mark rushed to fill it. "Gay baby!" he blurted.

All heads snapped to him. Each expression said the same thing: "Is your brain okay?"

Having sensed this, Mark tensed and stated defensively, "Oh! Come on! Please tell me you know about gay babies!"

Silence.

"No? Fine, I'll tell you! You guys are so unworldly," he huffed contemptuously and crossed his arms across his chest. "So. It's been said that whenever there's an awkward silence, a gay baby is born. Not that it's insulting gays or anything but like…yeah. Just a saying."

Apparently finished speaking, Mark waited impatiently for everyone's reactions. When none came, he snapped, "Well? Don't just stand there like idiots! Say something!"

So Jade did. "And you call _us_ unworldly. You don't seriously believe that do you?" She rolled her eyes. "I thought you were smarter than that. Actually, no, maybe not." She cocked her head, deeply contemplating what she'd just said.

Mark opened his mouth to retort back, but then shut it when Jade shot him a fiery look.

As they waited for Jade to come back to Earth, Adam murmured, amused, "Gay baby."

"Oh Goddess, not you too!" Mary-Lynette stared at him in horror.

"Well, if soulmates are real, as was made obvious by Jade's earlier speculation,," Adam mused with twinkling eyes, "then this could be too! You never know."

Mary-Lynette rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, the whole soulmate thing was a joke anyways. Otherwise, it's simply unfair if certain people get to find true love and others don't." Actually, she'd just made that up on the spot and she thought it sounded pretty good and would stop Adam from mentioning soulmates again.

"You're right, "Adam agreed. "It wouldn't be very fair at all."

_That was close,_ Mary-Lynette thought with relief.

And then they proceeded to dinner and this word "soulmate" was not brought up again.

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Heyyy guys! So yeah! That's chapter 5. Don't worry, I've got chappies 6 and 7 all written out (literally) so they'll be up soon. :D

Right. So thanks to:

kinanbon x3 - THANKS SO MUCH! YOU'RE AWESOME! XD

mindless scribbles - Heyyy, man. Can't wait to read all your OLD stories! XP

embleu44 - Thanks much!

Asha Childly - I like the name!

twilight sucks badley - You're right. it does. :D

vampiressincognito - Ooh, a vampiress? Bet you're sexy. :P lolz

Nightgirl25 - Ooh, are you from the Night World? :)

starr1095 - I'm sure you are a STAR! =]

Night Worlder 13 - Wow! Another from the Night World is reading this. I hope you like!

vampgirl75 - Another female vamp. I'm so popular! XD

Thank you all for reading and commenting!

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

PEACE!

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© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	6. Chapter 6

See? Told you I'd get this chapter up soon! :P I keep my promises, yup yup!

Hope you like! I'll have chapter 7 up within the hour - no make that 2 hours! (I'm watching Ice Age 3, you see. It's quite a funny distraction. ^.^)

Disclaimer: *sigh* Must I? Really? Oh fine. Jeez. Force me to remind myself that I don't own Night World. There, I said it! TT_TT No, I don't own it, but I love it all the same! :D

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Mary-Lynette paused halfway up the stairs. She felt like she had forgotten something. She went through the night again.

_Adam stayed for dinner and then had to go. The table's clean, the dishes washed, and Mark's escorting Jade back home. I'm off to bed, but…I'm still forgetting something!_

All of a sudden, she had it.

_Ash!_

Every night before she went to bed, she went outside – without her telescope or even binoculars – and she'd stare wordlessly at the sky, the moon, the stars.

For two years, she'd done this. It was practically a ritual, a _tradition _for her now.

She'd started ever since that day Ash left, the day he'd said, "Even when we're apart, we'll be looking at the same sky!"

So every night, she'd go outside and gaze up at the endless sky, alone in the cold night air. But not truly alone, because somehow she knew without a doubt that Ash was looking at the same sky, wherever he was, and whenever she thought that, she could almost feel Ash's warm embrace, his searing kiss.

She seriously could not believe she'd forgotten about it tonight.

Sprinting outside, she collapsed on the ground and glared at the sky. She was angry: angry at Ash, at Mark and Jade; hell, she was even mad at Adam, which was really weird. But most of all, she was angry at herself. Because who's fault was it that Ash was gone? Hers, of course! She'd sent him away. And she had no one to blame but herself.

She'd never felt lonelier.

Tears blurred her vision obscuring her view of the dark night sky. She closed her eyes and cried silently, the tears sliding down the sides of her face, wetting her hair.

She cried for a long time.

Finally, when the tears were slowing down, she croaked out, "Oh Ash. I miss you so much. Where are you?"

"Here."

It was so soft that at first, she thought it was in her head but she quickly realized that the voice was real.

She shot up, twisted around, and gasped.

Then she kicked out with all her strength.

* * *

Chapter 7 will be up soon! Later!

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

PEACE!

* * *

© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	7. Chapter 7

Hey! Okay, so maybe that was slightly longer than 2 hours. But hey, I had to eat dinner! We wouldn't want me to die of hunger, now would we? There would be no more "Forever Soulmates" if that were to happen! . We can't have that!

Okay, so I am shutting up. Enjoy! :D

**Conscience**: Um...I think you're forgetting something VERRRRY important.

**Me**: *sigh* Aw, do I HAVE to?

**Conscience**: YES. DISCLAIM. NOW. :(

**Me**: Fiiiiiiine. TT_TT

(I've always wanted to do something like that. XD)

Disclaimer: I. STILL. DON'T. OWN. NIGHT. WORLD. . TT_TT

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"Ow! What the hell? I thought we were past that!"

Mary-Lynette still couldn't believe it. Either her eyes, brain, ears and foot were all deceiving her, or he was really here, but, of course, that was impossible. Wasn't it?

All of a sudden, she was talking. Screaming, actually. And tears were streaming down her face, and her arms and legs were flying out and…

_Hm_, she thought dimly, _guess my body really thinks he's here._

"I hate you! I hate you, I hate you,_ I hate you!_" This was Mary-Lynette. Ash was too busy holding his shin and gaping in shock.

"How could you? You said one year, and now I've waited two, and I've obviously gone insane, since you obviously can't really be here, but I'm still screaming at you and trying to hurt you, but it's not you, it's only a mirage or something, and it's all your fault, and –!" Her body went into overload and she slumped down. Ash came out of his stupor and caught her just before she hit the ground.

"I hate you," she said weakly and she was struggling halfheartedly to get away from him, but her voice cracked and before she knew it, she was crying again.

She sobbed and sobbed and started muttering to herself. "Oh Goddess, I've gone crazy! And what's wrong with me? I can't seem to stop crying and wow, my imagination must be really amazing at recreating Ash because he definitely seems real. Hooray for great hallucinations! Or maybe this is a dream…Well, whatever this is, I'm glad, because I haven't seen you in so long and –" She stopped.

Slowly her hand reached up and stroked Ash's cheek. "I can even feel you skin…What am I saying? Even if you're not real, I shouldn't be telling you I hate you, 'cause I don't. No, I could never!" Mary-Lynette's eyes flashed with emotion and, as Ash's hand reverently covered hers on his cheek, she whispered, "I love you. I love you so much, Ash, more than I could ever dream of loving anyone and it's still not enough!" Her voice took on a frustrated tone. "It's just not enough because it hasn't brought you back! Oh, if only you were really here, I could tell you that I don't care about your past anymore, I only know that I love you and I miss you and I was so stupid to send you away and oh, how I love you!" A wistful expression crossed her face. "Oh, if I could kiss you again. But maybe that's too much to ask. I mean, I'd die happy if I could just –"

She couldn't go on. Not because she was choked up with emotion or busy fantasizing.

No, it was because Ash – who was truly Ash and not simply a hallucination – had finally come back to life and taken action.

He kissed her.

It was a kiss of love and loneliness, fueled by anger and sorrow.

He kissed her and promised her eternity.

But abruptly, she pushed him fiercely away and he stumbled back, bewildered.

"What's wro –" Ash started to say, but was ignored and talked over by a seething Mary-Lynette.

"Oh, that's it! I know I said I wanted to kiss you again but I shouldn't have said that, that's selfish – and I didn't mean you anyways, I meant Ash! The real Ash, my soulmate, not a dream from my subconscious, even if my subconscious _does_ make very lifelike Ashes."

"But Mary-Lynette," Ash murmured gently. "It _is_ me. Really. I'm here now and I love you."

"No…no, it can't be…Oh Ash…" Her eyes were teary yet again and her fingers fearfully reached for his.

She flinched when their fingers touched and interlaced. But then she gripped him tightly, afraid he was going to disappear.

And then she realized something. The silver cord between them was as think and short as it had ever been. She slowly raised her eyes to Ash's catlike multicolored ones and a single thought pierced her:

_This is Ash._

With a strangled cry, she yanked her hands from his and threw them around his neck instead, burying her face in his neck and breathing in Ash. His arms automatically wrapped around her and he muffled his face in her hair.

Just to make sure, she tugged at the cord sharply and heard Ash yelp in surprise as he jerked forward and tumbled onto her.

They landed in a heap, their arms still locked around each other. Ash unwound his arms, struggling to up. He balanced himself on his palms, one on either side of Mary-Lynette's head, and gazed adoringly into her eyes and she slid her hands from his neck into his hair, cupping his face.

"It's really you," she breathed incredulously. "You're here. With me."

"Yeah. I'm here. And I'm never leaving you again. It's too painful and I never did have the capacity to withstand much pain," Ash tried to joke.

Mary-Lynette's answering smile was watery. "Liar," she whispered. "If that was true, then you never would have left me in the first place." She stroked his soft hair. "But I love you anyways. Goddess, Ash, I love you so much it hurts."

"Well, we can't have that, can we? It's not healthy for you to be in pain when loving me," Ash murmured as he leaned down.

Mary-Lynette reached her arms up around his neck once again, finally smiling.

And they kissed under the moon, the stars, but mostly: the eternal sky.

That same sky.

* * *

Heyy! so what do you think? They're finally reunited! But...is all well in Soulmate Land? NOPE! Don't forget Adam! And the two-year wait M'Lyn had to endure! She is NOT happy about that, my peeps...So!

To Be Continued...*dun dun dunnnn*

lolz

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

* * *

© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	8. Chapter 8

Heyy everyone who's still with me! :D Here's Chapter 8! I've actually had this written out for a couple weeks now, but I just got around to finish typing it up (like, ten minutes ago). Hope you like!

I disclaim here. Night World is Miz L. J. Smith property (TT_TT). Enjoy

* * *

Ash was lounging on the couch downstairs the next morning when he heard Mary-Lynnette cry out in shock and pain – more from shock – from the kitchen.

He was next to her in a flash,

"What happened? Where are you hurt?" he asked as he searched her over frantically.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Just hit my funny bone," she grumbled. "Now please go away! I'm still mad at you."

Ash was shocked. "Wha –? But, Mary-Lynnette, I've already apologized for taking so long to get back to you. Why are you still mad?"

There was no reply.

Ash sighed. "Fine, I'll say it again. Mary-Lynnette, I'm sorry. I really am." When she still didn't reply, he begged, "Please! Say something."

"Fine!" she snapped. "You wanna know why I'm still mad at you? I'll tell you! You said you'd be back in a year! _One_ year! But _two_ have passed. But I could easily forgive you for that, because, after all, I was the one who sent you away to atone for your mistakes. No, what really gets me is that you didn't even think to send a sign that you were still alive after a year! If you didn't want to visit, then at least call or something! Do you know how worried I was about you? Sometimes, I almost deluded myself into thinking that it would be good if I went out to find you. But then I thought, no, what if you came back while I was gone? So I stayed. Half the time, I thought you had found someone else." The last sentence was spoken so quietly that human ears probably wouldn't have heard it. But Ash's sensitive vampire ears picked it up and heard the anguish and pain in his soulmate's words.

And it nearly killed him.

Before she could react, Mary-Lynnette was in Ash's arms. His voice was muffled by her hair as he apologized again and again. "Oh Goddess. Oh Mary-Lynnette, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, I'm sorry, I love you, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

They stood like that for several long moments as Ash's voice tapered away until they were just two young lovers, cocooned in each other's arms, in their own little world where time stood still.

The doorbell rang loudly, but Mary-Lynnette and Ash didn't move a muscle. It was as if they hadn't heard anything; they were still suspended in time.

After a few seconds, Mary-Lynnette stepped reluctantly away from Ash, saying, "I should get that."

Ash deflated but nodded miserably. Unthinkingly, he whispered to himself, "There was never anyone else. And there never will be."

Overhearing this, Mary-Lynnette's heart ached. Biting her lip as she stared at Ash's drooping figure, she called softly, "Ash."

He looked up and answered, "Yes?"

Hesitating for only a nanosecond, Mary-Lynnette darted forward and gave him a peck on the lips. She whispered, "I forgive you, you know."

Brightening, Ash touched his lips and grinned.

Mary-Lynnette giggled and thought as she walked to the door, _But I think, deep down, I'd forgiven you before you ever left me._

. . .

Ash was in a craptastic mood.

Mary-Lynnette had opened the door and gasped, "Adam!"

Hearing a male name that wasn't "Ash" or "Mark," Ash had immediately flitted to Mary-Lynnette's side to find himself staring straight into "Adam's" sea-blue eyes. And Ash had been depressed ever since.

Naturally, he'd been suspicious about this _Adam_ at first but after two hours of being in the same room as Adam, Ash had to admit that Adam was definitely no danger to Mary-Lynnette.

After introductions and the story of Adam and Mary-Lynnette's first meeting, Ash was thinking, _Damn. I'm gone for two years and she decides to pick the day I come back to make a new friend._

Mary-Lynnette and _Adam_ were deep in conversation about the universe or some such thing, causing Ash to think dryly, _Well, how convenient. He just happened to be into this stuff too, huh?_

Ash glared at Adam until he felt the heat of someone's stare on the back of his head. He turned and found Jade holding Mark's hand and staring intently at him.

_You're…jealous. _Jade's mind-voice was calmly amused. _I never thought I'd see a day that _you_ would be _jealous_! Ha!_

Ash's head snapped up to glare at his youngest sister. _Are you kidding? Yeah, right. Who's jealous?_

_Uh, _you, Jade thought back smugly. _No need to get so defensive; it just makes your jealousy more obvious._

_I'm not jealous!_ Ash retorted._ Or defensive! I don't care who _Mary-Lynnette_ hangs out with. She can have a billion Adams, for all I care!_

_Now you're just being _too_ uncaring_, Jade observed. _In fact, you seem so indifferent that I would go so far as to question if you really love her. Do you really love her, Ash?_

_Of course I do! How can you even ask that? _Ash was fuming.

Jade's eyes drilled into his solemnly but she was silent.

_She is my soulmate, after all,_ Ash added.

Jade's eyes darkened dangerously. _You might not want to say that. I'm afraid I'll have to kick your ass if I find out you only love her 'cause your soulmates. _Mary-Lynnette_'s so pure; she doesn't deserve that._

_I…Aw, forget it._ Ash shook his head. _Sorry. I really do love her, though._

Cutting himself off before he started to trip over his thoughts trying to explain, he stood and quietly left the room. He would've easily slipped away if Mary-Lynnette hadn't called him back. "Ash? Where are you going? You haven't even talked to Adam yet!"

Ash cursed. _Yeah, and I don't _want_ to talk to Adam. _But instead, he gave up his plan to sneak outside and ambled back, taking as long as he could.

Mary-Lynnette jumped up when she saw him, smiling so happily that Ash could only smile back.

She grabbed Ash's hand comfortably and Adam noticed. He asked her hesitantly, "Uh…not to seem rude or anything, but what is Ash to you? Are you guys cousins or…?" Adam gestured vaguely.

Mary-Lynnette laughed incredulously at Adam's question. "What? Cousins? No way!" She looked at Adam and asked meekly, "Did I…did I forget to tell you?"

Ash muttered under his breath, "Obviously."

Mary-Lynnette heard, shooting him a glare before turning back to Adam. "Well, you see, Ash is my…um…boyfriend." She looked hastily to Ash for confirmation. Ash's answer was a blissful smile and he beamed at her like a moron.

_She called me her boyfriend! I've never been a boyfriend before. _Ash's mind was hysterically giddy.

Mary-Lynnette smiled shyly back and leaned comfortably against her "boyfriend" when he pulled her to him.

Adam stared disbelievingly for a second before shaking it off and a smiling a little painfully.

"Oh…that's great for you guys." Adam glanced at his watch and exclaimed, "Look at the time! I should go. I have work." He turned to go.

"Wait!" Mary-Lynnette pulled away from Ash – who let her go very reluctantly – and declared, "That's great! You have a job? Hey, if you don't mind, do you think you could help me find a job one day? I'm not really experienced with finding work and all." She gazed at Adam pleadingly. "Please?"

"Uh, sure!" Adam quickly wrote something on a random piece of paper he found with a pen he spotted on a nearby table. He shoved it at her. "Here. Call me." Then, waving, he dashed off. "Gotta go, bye!"

Ash twirled Mary-Lynnette back to him and growled," Hey! Why'd you ask him for help? _I_ could help you find a job!"

She slapped his arm playfully. "_You_ would try to influence everyone into wanting to hire me by wowing all the girls. No, I'd like to use my own – as in human – abilities to get a job."

Ash rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just my luck. Here I am, in all my awesome vampire glory amidst a world of women, and the one I'm bound to forever is the one who refuses my supernatural help." He heaved another dramatically woeful sigh. "I suppose I'll just go wallow in my uselessness now."

Mary-Lynnette smacked him again and rolled her eyes too. "Oh, please. Look, you can _come_ with us, but you can't use your 'awesome vampire glory' " – she used finger quotes – "to help me, okay?"

When he didn't look at her, she gave up using words and instead she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

"Oh, come on. Stop pouting. Please? Even if I don't want your help, I still love you more than anything. Or anyone."

Finally, Ash came alive. His arms wound around her body tightly and he gently laid his chin on the top of her head. "Oh, I know. You just can't help but love me, after all."

Mary-Lynnette would have said something witty here to stamp down his enormous ego, but anticipating this, Ash pulled her face into his hands and kissed her, effectively cutting her off and causing her to lose her train of thought.

She smiled into his lips and closed her eyes, thinking dreamily, _Well, whatever we were talking about can wait._

_

* * *

_Hello readers and writers! Hope you liked this installment of "Forever Soulmates"! :D It's a bit of a filler, I admit, but come on, I'm a little brain dead. =_= I'm so glad it's break! :P

Well, then. I'm off to create a random Chapter 9 to satisfy your cravings. So long! I salute you.

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

* * *

© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	9. Chapter 9

Hey guys! It's been a while...I kept telling myself that I'd finish typing and upload but I never did get to...till now. So! Chapter 9 is now up. ENJOY! :D

Forgot to disclaim before...so here it is! TT_TT I DON'T OWN NIGHT WORLD. PROPS TO MIZ SMITH FOR THAT!

* * *

Mary-Lynnette bounded downstairs and into the kitchen to see none other than her beloved Ash cooking breakfast. That's right.

Cooking. Breakfast.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Mary-Lynnette gasped. "Ash? Are you…_cooking_?"

Ash, holding a pan that was sizzling bacon, turned and smiled amiably at his soulmate's shocked expression. "Yeah. Though I should make myself useful if I'm gonna stay here."

All Mary-Lynnette heard was "stay here." Amidst all the chaos of finding him, she'd forgotten to wonder about where he was staying. She squeaked, "Stay here? As in, my house here, or just Briar Creek here?" She held her breath as she waited impatiently for his answer.

"Well…" Ash drawled carefully. "I'd prefer if I could stay here, as in your house, so I could keep an eye on you all the time, but –"

Ash stopped talking because Mary-Lynnette had launched herself at him. HE dropped the pan he was holding back onto the stove top as he staggered back a little from her unexpected weight, holding her just as tightly as she was squeezing him.

"I'd love it if you stayed here! No buts!" She untangled herself from him and stared into his eyes with a wounded look. "But you don't have to keep an eye on me. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

Ash opened his mouth to protest but Mary-Lynnette beat him to it. She whirled out of his arms and announced, "In fact, today I'll go and look for a job! With Adam's help, if he's willing, "she added. "Since I'm new at this 'finding a job' stuff."

Ash growled, "What about me?"

Mary-Lynnette rolled her eyes at his playful menace. "Your scary face doesn't work on me, buddy. I know you'd never actually hurt me."

Ash stalked forward with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You didn't…answer…my question!"

Mary-Lynnette's brown eyes widened as Ash moved closer to her. "What…What are you doing? Eek!"

One second she was standing, staring at Ash. The next, she was flat on her back with Ash hovering over her. Her arms were pinned above her head and Ash had a knew on either side of her thighs, not that she would've kneed him if she could. However…

She was completely vulnerable.

And it was not a comfortable feeling.

"Ash…What are you doing?" She struggled to get up but his hands were an inescapable snare around her wrists.

"You're right, I wouldn't ever hurt you. But," he grinned as he lowered his head closer to her face, "that doesn't mean I won't tease you."

He leaned further down and brushed his lips lightly over hers, igniting sparks inside her. "You will let me go with to find a job, right?" He slid his lips down to her jaw.

"W-well…" Mary-Lynnette gulped.

"What? You want to be alone with Adam, huh?" Ash's lips were near her neck now.

"N-no, that's not it…" she sighed when Ash kissed her neck, then whimpered when he rose above here. "Didn't I already say you could go?"

He stared hard at her, his eyes like fire. "Well…I still might have to do something about him. Jealousy isn't pretty, you know…"

Mary-Lynnette smiled. "You're…jealous? Really? The great Ash Redfern, a player among players, is _jealous_?"

Scowling at the smug look on her face, he muttered, "I should punish you for making fun of me." Then he kissed her hard, with all the passion in his heart, allowing jealousy to fuel him.

Mary-Lynnette was caught by surprise, but when Ash pulled her up into a sitting position and settled her on his lap comfortably, she melted into him and kissed back with the same ferocity. Her hand slid around his neck and played with his soft fur-like hair as he held her neck to him and tangled his other hand in her hair.

AS they kissed, Ash moved his hand from her hair and slid it down the side of her body to rest at the edge of her shirt. She didn't notice until her hand slowly began to creep up her stomach, on her skin. _Under her shirt._

Not that she minded. This was Ash; he wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do.

It was then that Mary-Lynnette smelled something weird. She was surprised Ash hadn't smelled it first; but then again, they were both caught up in the kiss. She tried to pull back, but Ash just tightened his arms around her. "Wait, wait," she murmured. She shoved Ash firmly away, knowing it wouldn't really move him, but it would let him know that she had something to say.

"Oh…sorry." Ash quickly moved away from her. "I shouldn't push you." Mary-Lynnette was suddenly flooded by emotions that weren't hers. She realized that they were from the bond. Ash was feeling something like hurt, guilt, and something else…something that was so complex it was almost indecipherable amongst all his other emotions. This one was different, though. This one gave him pain, somehow.

"No, Ash! It's not that. Really. I liked it." Ash turned back to her, his eyes brightening a little as Mary-Lynnette blushed fiercely and wouldn't look at him. But thankfully, she felt the hurt and guilt trickle away, which were quickly replaced by the happiness of knowing that he could please her. But that pain-inducing emotion was still there. It seemed stronger than ever.

"Then, what is it?" Ash questioned uncertainly.

"I just…thought I smelled something burning…" Mary-Lynnette couldn't quite identify the source but the smoky smell was growing.

Ash's eyes widened in alarm. He swore loudly, but before she could chastise him, he said, "The bacon!"

"Crap!" Mary-Lynnette hurried over to the stove and turned off the fire. She hastily wrapped her hand around the handle, only to drop it again with a loud exclamation of surprise – and pain.

"Damn it!" She cradled her hand to her chest. Ash rushed over to her and gently took her hand, examining it. It didn't seem to be seriously burnt. She had good reflexes.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt?" Ash was afraid to touch it.

She gave him a withering look. "No it doesn't hurt," she said sarcastically. "It would be completely unnatural, of course, if you got burnt and it hurt. I mean, who ever got hurt from fire, right?"

Ash glared. "Hey. The sarcasm was uncalled for."

She sighed. "Well, this is all your fault. If you hadn't distracted me…"

"Me?" He laughed incredulously. "I seem to remember it differently. Wasn't it _you_ who threw yourself at me first?"

She blushed but remained silent. He was technically right.

To break the awkward silence – _gay baby_, she thought distractedly – she apologized. "Sorry. I shouldn't have blamed you."

A sweet smile from him acknowledged and accepted her apology.

Suddenly, Ash lifted her hand to his lips. He kissed the reddening skin and she gasped. Immediately, he moved the hand away from him, concerned. "Sorry, did that hurt?"

"No!" she hastily assured him. "It felt…kind of nice. It doesn't hurt so much anymore. Or maybe I've just deluded myself into feeling that your touch is healing or something," she mused wryly. "Well, better go through out that wasted bacon. Be right back." She turned to go, but Ash gently pulled her back.

"Allow me." By now, the pan had cooled some more, so Ash quickly dumped the burnt meat into the trash and ran a lot of freezing cold water over the pan. "And…done! Now there are no more evil pans to hurt you," he teased.

Mary-Lynnette mock-scowled. Then she gave him a quick kiss and said, "I'm off to call Adam. We can get something to eat at a café or something, and Mark and Jade usually go over to your sisters' house to eat anyways. I'll be right back!"

Before Ash could say anything, she was gone, which left him standing there with his yearning arms outstretched.

. . .

Ash sighed. "Just pick one already. It's not that hard."

Mary-Lynnette glared at him. "Ash! I want to pick a job that I'll be most useful for. Not something you'd understand, I'm sure," she muttered. "I bet you'd pick a job that pays well but requires very little effort, mentally or physically."

"Hey!" Ash was offended. "I can do work. I just prefer not to. There's a difference."

"That's not what I said."

"Then what?"

"Forget it!" Mary-Lynnette hurried to catch up to Adam. Ignoring Ash who had leisurely strolled up beside her, she asked, "So, all these jobs are fairly high-paying?"

"Yeah." Adam nodded. "It all depends on what you want to do. For example, waitressing." He pointed to a cute little café. "Or working a cash register." He pointed at a supermarket-type store. "Or maybe you'd rather do desk work." He pointed to the large white building down the road. "You can work in the hospital for that. IT doesn't actually require medical knowledge. But I'm not sure they're hiring now."

Mary-Lynnette considered them all, before saying, "No…What I'd really like is to be able to work at night, and be able to be outside or at least have a good view of the night sky. The stars are so beautiful," she sighed dreamily.

Ash rolled his eyes, but was secretly smiling. This Mary-Lynnette, the one who fantasized about the bright stars in the night sky, without a care in the world, this was the one he loved most.

Though of course, he'd never ever say something so mushy out loud. _Ever_.

Well," Adam considered slowly, "you could always just ask for the night shift as a waitress or something. Waitressing is pretty easy."

"Really?" Mary-Lynnette brightened and smiled. "That's great! Um, which places are hiring?"

Ash spoke up. "While you were busy ignoring me, I looked around. I think there are three places that are hiring: the restaurant over there" – Ash pointed – "the little café there" – point – "and that little family-run place over there."

Mary-Lynnette looked at each of them, frowning. "No…they just don't feel right…" Suddenly she jumped up and down and pointed at a medium-sized building that was obscured by the shadow of the large neighboring building. "That one, right there! It's perfect!"

Adam was perplexed. "Uh, what's the difference?"

"I dunno!" she exclaimed. "But it feels right! And look! There's even a 'Now Hiring' sign! Let's go!"

Ash was silent. He'd noticed the building, yes, but he got this weird, ominous vibe from it. He really didn't want Mary-Lynnette to be working there. "I dunno…That place gives me the creeps. I don't like it. Can't you pick one of the places I mentioned? They all look happy and normal."

Mary-Lynnette rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Ash. I really want to work there, okay? Even if you don't want me to, I'll apply, but I'd feel much better if you were okay with it…" She looked at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Please? Pretty, pretty, pretty please? With whatever you like on top?"

Sighing, Ash gave in. "Fine." She was just too cute like that. "But once I feel like that place is bad, you're quitting."

She squealed and threw her arms around Ash's neck, kissing him soundly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you!"

Adam stared blankly away from them.

Ash smirked. "And you promise you'll quit if I start getting a really bad feeling?"

"Fine." Mary-Lynnette began eagerly walking in the direction of the restaurant. "Come on!"

* * *

Okay! So, again, slightly filler-ish, and probably very OOC, but I have serious writer's block (which I HATE; I mean, who doesn't?) but I promise to come up with something better soon. Promise! .

Alrighty! Off I go to cook up something good.

Write on. Read on. That's my motto.

(Oh, and "Tangled" is just TOO CUH-YUTE! :P)

* * *

© Copyright 2010 by The Siege :D


	10. MY APOLOGIES

OMG I'M REALLY SORRY EVERYONE! I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE TILL TODAY! WOW, WHAT A LOSER I AM!

So, I accidentally used Chapter 7 for Chapter 8, so basically there were 2 Chapter 7s and, and, and, I'M REALLY SORRY! Like, stupid much?

I've reloaded (haha, reminds me of the Matrix! Anyways...) chapter 8, so now it's right, and it's not Chapter 7 still and everything's fine 'n' dandy, yup yup!

I am pummeling myself repeatedly for my hideous mistake. I promise to be more careful and vigilant about this.

Alrighty then! Peace!

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

[SORRY! TT_TT]


	11. Chapter 10

Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry, I know it's been a LOOONG break, but I've had writer's block. And now I don't! Mostly. :D

Enjoy this chapter! It's short, but another one's coming. I already wrote it out, just gotta type it up.

Is it just me, or are they getting more OOC? O_o :D

Ack! Disclaimer! Alright, here it is. I don't own Night World. None of it. No sirree, I don't. Wah.

* * *

"Are you absolutely _positive _you wanna work at this place?" Ash pressed. "There are plenty of perfectly nice places in other happy, _sunny _parts of town."

Mary-Lynnette sighed irritably. "As, I'm sure. I don't know why, but Café Eternal somehow…calls to me. I feel like I _need_ to work there." She looked up at her soulmate pleadingly. "Please, Ash. Let me do this."

Ash was silent for several heartbeats. Finally, he caved. "Fine. But you have to agree to my conditions."

Mary-Lynnette groaned. "Oh, Goddess, Ash. Please."

"No. If you don't agree, then I refuse to let you work there. I swear, I'll find a way to make them refuse you." Ash folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows at Mary-Lynnette expectantly.

She t hrew up her hands. "Ugh! Fine. What are your conditions?"

Smirking, Ash listed, "Letting me walk you to and from work on each day that you have work, letting me check up on you randomly, agreeing to quit if I absolutely insist on it, and…What else?" He tilted his head contemplatively, like a cat. "Oh yes – and coming to me for help right when you sense something's off."

Mary-Lynnette had been about to object, but now she just rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine, whatever. Just don't expect me to happily quit right when you tell me to, or to come crying to you for help when someone says something insulting."

Suddenly, Ash was right there, gripping her arms tightly, but not enough to hurt. "Mary-Lynnette. Please. You have to take my requests seriously. I promise I won't force you to quit if I don't like your employers or co-workers or something, but please listen to me if I _really_ start to insist. And you _better_ tell me right away when someone insults you so I can rearrange their face." He waited, but received no response. Shaking her slightly, Ash stared desperately into Mary-Lynnette's eyes and begged, "Please. Promise me. Promise you'll listen if I think something's seriously wrong. Please!" He shook her again.

"Alright, alright!" She shoved his hands off her arms. "You can stop shaking me now, I get it. But you really don't need to be so worried, Ash. I'm a big girl I can take care of myself."

Ash ran a hand through his sandy hair and drew in a shaky breath. "Good. Good. Look, I'm sorry if I scared you. That was a little intense."

Mary-Lynnette snorted. "A little?"

"Okay, a lot. But…I know how much you want this job, but I have lots of enemies, Mary-Lynnette. Even here, in this remote town called Briar Creek. Of one of them found out about our soulmate status…" He closed his eyes in anguish. "I couldn't bear it if I lost you. I didn't come back just to lose you again. But it's okay." His eyes were open now, and full of determination. "It's okay, because I'll protect you."

"Oh, Ash." Mary-Lynnette moved forward, knotting her arms around his firm torso. Ash buried his face in her fragrant hair and she clung tightly to him.

He repeated, vowing it in his soul, "I will definitely protect you."

* * *

Yeah...Like I said, short. Sorry!

But I promise, more is on its way RIGHT NOW. :) As I'm typing this, I'm also - well, actually no, once I finish typing this, I'll start typing chapter 11, but you know what I mean.

Okay then. I'll try not to take long breaks like that again, but no promises...Good thing for you guys, I'm on a writing high right now - I'm writing on adrenaline, WHOOT!

Does that even make sense? Whatever.

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

Peace, dudes!

* * *

© Copyright 2011 by The Siege :D


	12. Chapter 11

Okay, so this took slightly longer than I had anticipated. But then again, my _mother_ burst in and was all, "What are you doing? Go study or something!" And so...I had to bide my time and come up with a sneaky plan so I could get on the computer again.

Actually, I just asked to watch Bleach on my mom's laptop...But I can multitask! :D

Alright, enough of my lame excuses. On with the story! Enjoy!

I knew it, argh!

I disclaim here: Night World belongs to the one and only [genius] Miz LJ Smith! .

* * *

Mary-Lynnette readied herself for her first day of work. She was so excited; finally, she was truly becoming an adult. And yet…

She couldn't be sure what spurred Ash to spill his soul to her like that. Moreover, she never would have guessed he felt like that about her. She knew he loved her, of course – that went without saying. But vowing to protect her and saying he couldn't lose her? He made it sound as if his world revolved around her – as if he couldn't go on living with out her.

Surely that was just her overactive imagination? Before, she'd been so sure that only she felt the strength of their bond resonating deeply within her but now…now she had glimpsed her true love's soul…and she was torn by what she'd seen.

Mary-Lynnette straightened her shoulders. She would stand tall and proud, and she would _not_ let Ash shoulder his burdens alone. She could protect herself, at least. One less worry for him.

Though it _did_ spark a warn and fuzzy feeling inside her when Ash had declared, "I'll protect you!"

"Mary-Lynnette?" Ash called impatiently from downstairs. "Are you ready yet?"

Mary-Lynnette snapped out of her reverie. She smoothed out her clothes, ran a quick hand through her tangled hair, and hurried downstairs, crashing right into Ash.

"Whoa!"

They landed with a _thump_, a jumble of sleek limbs and Mary-Lynnette's long brown hair.

"Oh Goddess! Ash! Are you okay?" Mary-Lynnette scrambled up and frantically looked Ash over for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

She only heard a chuckle before the world spun before her eyes, and in a snap, she was lying submissively under Ash, who was smirking smugly at her.

"Have you forgotten the durability of a vampire?" he teased her with happy eyes.

Mary-Lynnette was so glad to see his eyes free of pain and torment that she didn't even respond; she just threw her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear, feeling frustrated at the inadequacy of the statement. Her feelings were so much stronger and deeper and more complex than simple love.

Surprised, Ash just smiled and hugged her back. "I know. I love you too." He regretfully unwrapped her arms form his neck. "Now let's go. Can't have you late on your first day. First impressions are important, you know," he lectured, pulling her up.

Mary-Lynnette resisted the strong urge to roll her eyes.

They strolled casually to town, holding hands and chatting like a normal couple. They each reveled in the sheer simplicity of acting like regular teens basking in the glory of their first love.

They arrived in front of the place of Mary-Lynnette's new place of occupation – Café Eternal.

Murmuring goodbyes, Mary-Lynnette leaned up on her tippy-toes and kissed Ash sweetly with both their hands entwined between them.

Apparently, Ash was unsatisfied with the innocence of the kiss because before she could react, he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her passionately. He slid his hand into her hair and pulled her closer. She slid her hands through his silky hair as well, trying to get as close as possible. They clutched each other for several seconds before Mary-Lynnette broke away, panting. "You're gonna make me late…"

Ash was breathing hard too, but he merely grunted, "Mmm" before pulling her lips to his again.

Eventually, he pulled away and surrendered her to work. He looked at her and thought, _She's so beautiful._ Her lips were very slightly swollen from their kissing, her eyes bright with love and joy. _She's beautiful. And mine._

But he just said, "Okay. You should o now, or you won't be going at all." His tone was suggestive.

Mary-Lynnette blushed lightly and bit her lip. "Okay, bye!" She turned and practically skipped to the building's entrance. As she opened the door, she lanced back at Ash, who was staring forlornly after her.

Giggling, she blew him a kiss and called, "Love you!" Then she darted inside, filled with energy for her new job.

* * *

Alrighty, guys. don't worry, there'll be actually plot stuff happening in the next chapter!

...I think. I hope! .

Well, anyways. Until I write out chapter 12! So long!

Not too long, hopefully.

Write on. Read on. that's my motto.

* * *

© Copyright 2011 The Siege :D


	13. Chapter 12

Alright! I don't really have anything to say so I guess...Enjoy! :D

(I know, this is rare isn't it? I always have something to say! Wow, it's a miracle! Okay, no, it's not. I'll shut up now. Read on.)

Oh. My. God[dess]. No wonder I had nothing to say! I forgot!

I always seem to forget. Hmm.

Night World belongs solely to its amazing creator, LJ Smith! Gotta love her.

* * *

It was the fifth day of work for Mary-Lynnette, and she was really enjoying her job. It was fun and not too tiring – they didn't get lots of customers at Café Eternal, she supposed – and she'd made friends with the three other employees and Adam, who was her employer, she'd learned with surprise. She never noticed it before, but Adam was…pretty hot. OR maybe it was just the change of setting.

Not that Ash wasn't good-looking. But it couldn't hurt to have eyes, now could it?

All was well, and Mary-Lynnette was relishing being able to work and earn her own money. Except…

She glanced out of the corner of her eye at their lone customer, sitting in his usual seat by the window, leisurely sipping his usual order or mocha.

"Ash," she hissed, "What the hell are you doing here? _Again?_"

He looked up at her innocently, his eyes a clear, honest blue – too honest. "What? You agreed to let me check up on you, remember?"

"Yeah, well, when you said 'randomly,' I didn't know that meant 'everyday'!"

Ash blinked. "Well, it technically _is_ random. See, on the Monday, I came at one oh two, Tuesday was one seventeen, Wednesday I came at one thirty-five, yesterday was one fifty-two, and today I came at two oh three. See? No correlation between the times, whatsoever. Completely random."

Mary-Lynnette rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat. "Whatever."

"Besides," Ash, continued, eying the empty shop, "it looks like you could do with the business."

She scowled. He had a point. And, though she wouldn't admit it, she did like being able to see him at work.

"Mary-Lyn!" Adam came out from his office. He didn't even bother to look at Ash – the fear of Ash's intense vampire staring had worn off after five days in a row. "Could you see me in my office, please?"

Mary-Lynnette opened her mouth to reply, but Ash butted in. "No, she can't. Whatever you're gonna tell her, you can say it here, since no one's in here anyways. And her name is Mary-Lynnette, in case you'd forgotten."

Mary-Lynnette glared at her soulmate. "Ash. I _can _speak for myself, you know. I'm not mute." She turned to Adam. "And yes, Adam, I will be there in a second."

Adam nodded, threw a smug look at Ash, and returned to his office to wait.

Ash snarled at the space Adam was standing in before he looked at Mary-Lynnette. "I don't like that guy. I don't want you alone with him for more than a second. Actually, I don't want you alone with him, period."

Sighing, Mary-Lynnette walked over to him. "Ash…He's my employer. Please don't get me fired. He's not gonna hurt me, okay? No need to be jealous, if you are."

"I'm not jealous!" Ash practically yelled.

Mary-Lynnette just grinned at him and walked into her employer's office.

. . .

"Here, Mary-Lyn, your paycheck for the week." Adam handed her a slip of paper.

Mary-Lynnette winced at the nickname and replied, "Thank you. And I would really appreciate it if you called me by my name. It's only one syllable longer."

"Oh, sorry!" Adam apologized. "You should've corrected me sooner. Well, actually, I should've asked if you minded, but I didn't. Sorry. I'll call you Mary-Lynnette from now on." He smiled repentantly.

Mary-Lynnette laughed, "It's fine. Actually, I should apologize. I know a lot of people think my name's too long, and I wish I could make them happy and just pick a nickname, but for reasons unknown, I am suddenly attached to my full name." She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's no problem, Mary-Lynnette." Adam winked at her.

She had a sudden, explosive thought: _Is Adam flirting with me?_

Smiling uncomfortably, Mary-Lynnette decided it was time to get back to Ash. "Um, I really should get back to work." She turned to go.

"Wait!" Adam caught her wrist. "I, uh…" He looked down awkwardly. "I'm not sure how to put this…Um, so, well, this is your first week working here so you don't know yet, but we get loads of customers on the weekends, especially Saturday. And I know that might surprise you, seeing as we only seem to be getting one customer a day during the week," he looked pointedly a the doorway, "but it does get really busy and…I was just wondering…Since we've been, uh…kinda running short on staff…"

"You need me to come to work tomorrow?" Mary-Lynnette guessed. "Sure, it's no problem! Maybe I'll learn something about waitressing if you have lots of customers."

"No, you don't have to come!" Adam quickly injected. "Only if you want to. I know your work contract included only Monday through Friday and…I mean, I guess we can deal with three waitresses…"

Laughing, Mary-Lynnette assured Adam, "Really, it's fine. I want to come and learn something. It'll probably be fun to be here when it's busy. And it does seem like you need some help around here. You should hire some more waitresses. And maybe waiters too, since guys are so strong."

Adam brightened a little. "That's a good idea! Wait. You sure you _want_ to come?" He peered at her suspiciously.

"Don't worry. I'll be here bright and early tomorrow, ready to work."

"Actually…you might not want to come until seven at night. No one will be here before then."

Bewildered, she agreed. "Right, then. Seven at night, sharp, I will report for duty."

Adam smiled sweetly. "Thanks for your help. Your shift's over. See you tomorrow."

. . .

"What'd he say?" Ash was on her the minute she stepped out of the office.

"Nothing much. Just gave me my paycheck for the week and asked me if I could help out tomorrow." Mary-Lynnette shrugged nonchalantly. "No big deal."

"What? He asked you to come tomorrow too? I thought you only worked Monday through Fridays!"

"Well, yeah, but he says it gets super busy on Saturdays so…I said yes."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Ash grabbed her shoulders. "Mary-Lynnette! You should've asked me first!"

"You're not my mother, Ash. I'm a legal adult. I can make my own decisions now, thank you very much." She jerked out of Ash's hold and glared at him. "What's wrong with you? It's just a bit more work! I figure I owe it to him, since he gave me this job and paid me even though I technically didn't even _do _anything, this week!"

"Look! Okay, yes, maybe I am a little jealous of Adam," Ash held up a hand to stop Mary-Lynnette's objections, "but that's not the only thing. I don't get a good vibe from him. And besides, it's not like I'm asking you to quit or anything. I just want to make sure you're safe."

"Vibe?" Mary-Lynnette laughed. "What, are you psychic now? Well, you are part witch." She took Ash's hands and looked him in the eyes, which were currently a stormy gray. "Listen. I don't think Adam would do anything to me. Even if he were some horrible guy, he knows that you'd beat him up without a second thought if he hurt me. And he's human, right?"

Ash nodded.

"Exactly. He stands no chance against you, and since you exude this predatory feel, I'm sure he knows it." She pecked Ash on the cheek. "I'll be fine. Besides, you'll be walking me here tonight, so I'm sure you can stay and watch the whole time, if you want. And yes, I did just say that."

Ash sighed miserably. "I can't win against you. Alright. What time do you need to be here tomorrow?" He took her hand and they began walking home.

"Seven."

"At night? Mary-Lynnette! That's dinnertime!"

"So what? I work at a café. Eat something there."

"But they only have coffee! And milk! And cookies!"

"Well, aren't you a cat anyways?"

"Hey!"

Ah, the joy of young love.

* * *

Okay, so I think something interesting is gonna happen in the next chapter!

I know! O-M-G! Something interesting! It's been so long since this story has had something interesting, I know. I feel yer pain. I unnerstand!

Yeah, okay anyways...

Look! I've updated twice - no make that thrice - in TWO days! Whoa! Gotta be a world record or something! O_0

Alright!

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

* * *

© Copyright 2011 The Siege :D


	14. Chapter 13

Okay, chapter 13 up! Don't worry, I've finished the net chapter - I've already started typing it! :D It'll be up soon.

Disclaimer: (Wow, I didn't forget! Score one for me!) I don't own anything relating to Night World. Except for my own made up characters and plot. Yeah.

So...enjoy! :D

* * *

As Mary-Lynnette rushed around the house doing chores, barely able to contain her excitement of going to work and serving more than one customer (Ash), her feline vampire was having second thoughts about letting her go.

Ash mulled it over. _Should I let her go? But I already agreed! If I told her I changed my mind, she'll think I'm the type of person who breaks promises!_

Ash shook his head. _No, no. Her safety comes first. If she hates me for it, then let her hate me! As long as she's safe…_

Sighing, Ash dragged himself to the sunny kitchen and collapsed into a chair. Even at the cost of her safety, he couldn't bear it if Mary-Lynnette hated him.

But he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something just a bit _off_ about the café. He couldn't put his finger on it. And what were the chances that the one place Mary-Lynnette chose, the one place that creep Adam _didn't_ advertise was the one he happened to be in charge of? It just didn't connect. If Adam was in charge of Café Eternal, which was so obviously short on employees, and he knew that Mary-Lynnette needed a job, why didn't Adam just advertise his _own_ place right away?

There was a missing piece. There had to be.

But for now, he'd let Mary-Lynnette go to work. After all, he didn't want to look like an overprotective wimp based solely on suspicion. He _did_ still have his dignity to protect.

. . .

It was almost seven. Ash hugged Mary-Lynnette close to his side – it got pretty windy at night. Mary-Lynnette snuggled into his warmth and exhaled deeply, lost in the bliss of being with Ash as they walked to the café.

On the outside, it seemed like Ash was carefree and relaxed, but he'd always been a good actor. Inside, turmoil reigned. There was an uncomfortably ominous feeling in his gut that told him letting her go was a bad idea, but he squelched it.

He wouldn't do that again.

As they neared the café, Mary-Lynnette started to pull away, but Ash held tightly to her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He took a deep breath, inhaling her unique scent, before letting her go and giving her a lingering kiss. Then he smiled and said, "I love you."

He turned to go.

"Hey."

Ash turned back, glancing questioningly at the deep frown on Mary-Lynnette's pretty face. "What?"

She was silent for a moment. "Ash…Why did it sound like you were saying good bye?"

"Huh? Well, I'm leaving, right? Don't worry, I'll come pick you up at…when do you get off?"

"Eleven."

"Eleven, then."

"No, I…never mind." Mary-Lynnette shook her head. "I must have imagined it."

Ash grinned. "That overactive imagination of yours." He waved. "Love you. See you at eleven, sharp."

He turned and walked away, hands tucked into his coat pockets. He didn't hear Mary-Lynnette say "Love you too" and he didn't turn to check if she even did say it.

He would regret that.

Actually, he was going to regret everything about that night.

* * *

So, it looks like we're nearing the end of this story. Tear. TT_TT But wow, I'm finally finishing a story! Ive never done that before! (_Well, duh, this is your first story, idiot,_ says my subconscious. Yeah, well, shut up, subconscious.)

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

* * *

© Copyright 2011 by The Siege :D


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14! It's kinda long too! Whoot! Hope you like!

Ack! I forgot!

Disclaimer: Well, you all know what this says. TT_TT

* * *

When Ash got home, he was restless with worry, but he forced himself to calm down. Luckily, no one was home to hear him frantically talking to himself – "It's okay, Ash, it's natural to worry but she'll be fine, you'll see her in four hours, _breathe, _Ash, _breathe_" – since Mark was over at Jade's house – probably being teased about his human-ness by Kestrel and Jade, while Rowan just rolled her eyes and sighed at their childish antics.

So Ash had the house all to himself. All the better.

He slumped down against the kitchen counter, then sprang right back up again. He paced back and forth, back and forth…

That uneasy feeling in his gut only increased tenfold.

He decided to take his mind off the dilemma at hand by…playing computer games!

_Yes! Good idea!_ He jumped out of his chair and bounded upstairs to the study. He clicked open the browser, which went straight to its Google homepage. His fingers were poised over the keyboard, read to type "Neopets" or something (yes, he was secretly a fan of the Jubjub), but he hesitated.

When his fingers fell, they didn't punch out "Neopets." No, instead the words that appeared in the search box were "Café Eternal."

Before he could change his mind, he hit "enter" and immediately, several news articles appeared. He randomly selected the first one his cursor happened to be hovering over.

It was written by a reporter form the local newspaper. The title read, "Eight girls in eight months. Who is next?"

Riveted – and a bit frightened about how this connected to the café – Ash read on.

"_Eight months ago, a young girl went missing. Eight months later, the eight girl is gone. What could have possibly happened to them?_

"_The police have been investigating, but so far no leads have turned up. The culprit has left behind no tracks or clues whatsoever. This criminal, whoever it is, has probably been at this for years. Only now, he or she has decided to plague our very own, quaint little Briar Creek._

"_The families of the victims have been interrogated, and they all say the same thing: 'She went off to work one night and just never came back.' Yet, when asked where the girl worked, none seemed to remember. It was as if the place had simply never existed._

"_Until now. A close friend of the seventh victim, high school senior Sunny Kim mentioned that he'd heard the name 'Café Eternal" somewhere. The police are trying to find anything connected to a place called Café Eternal._

"_It seems that the criminal is getting sloppier. The police suspect that they've found something useful, but refused to disclose it until they are sure._

"_Hopefully, the police will find their man – or woman – before he or she strikes again."_

Ash sat back in his chair, struck limp by the contents of the article. It was dated only a few weeks ago.

Suddenly, a thought flickered in his mind. _Mary-Lynnette might be in danger! _He glanced at the time; only seven thirty. _Good, it hasn't been too long since I left her. I'd better check on her. Just in case._

He ran downstairs and grabbed his jacket off the kitchen counter. As he bolted out the door, barely remembering to lock it, he thought desperately, _She's fine, she's fine…she _has_ to be fine!_

. . .

Mary-Lynnette struggled to untie the ropes around her wrists. They chafed her skin, but she really couldn't care less at the moment – she just needed to get free.

Luckily, they didn't tape her mouth shut – probably didn't have any tape – so she could keep their attention away from her hands.

Thought she might end up losing her voice.

"_You bastards! Let me go! I swear, fi you don't let me go right now, the police will be the least of your worries! My boyfriend will come save me, just watch! He'll ruin you! Once he's done with you, you'll be too ashamed to go get out of bed!" _she raged rashly, not at all sure if her words held any truth to them.

The crowd of vampires all turned to look at their leader as she stepped closer.

"Ah yes…Ash. I'm afraid he won't be doing much ruining, once _I'm_ through with _him_." She chuckled darkly.

Mary-Lynnette caught her first glimpse of the vampiress. She had a veil over her face, but now she ripped it off and shook out her hair.

She was truly beautiful. Dressed in all black, she looked like one of those badass spy chicks right out of one of those spy flicks Mark seemed to love. Her tight black leather pants hugged her shapely legs, and her very low-cut black shirt that must have been three sizes too small, emphasized her many curves. She was busty, all right. Her long, wavy blonde locks floated down her back and her shiny black boots with five-inch heels completed the outfit.

Suddenly, Mary-Lynnette could guess why a beauty like her would hate playboy-turned-good boy Ash – who definitely must have left a trail of broken hearts in his wake, even after apologizing.

An apology does not equal forgiveness, especially for a trampled heart, and vampires had centuries to stew over every little thing and plot revenge.

Mary-Lynnette thought it must be tedious to be a vampire, even if their superhuman skills were kind of – okay, _really _– cool.

"I don't see why you need me. I'm sure Ash would go settle things with you if you just asked him," Mary-Lynnette thought aloud.

The bust vampiress scoffed. "Hah! You humans are so stupid and naïve. A little one-on-one convo can't make up for years of waiting. I thought I was special, you know…I have to hurt him the way he hurt me. Apparently, he really loves you, so I do need you."

Mary-Lynnette shook her head, exasperated. "What the hell did Ash do to you?"

Blondie let out a humorless laugh. "You wanna know? Fine, I'll tell you! After three years of waiting for him to come back to me, I ask about him, where he's been, stuff like that, and someone tells me he's moved on. Moved. On! Like it was just a casual one-night stand, or something. He didn't even have the guts to break up with me to my face! He just left and never said anything! Do you know the pain? No! You don't!"

_Actually_, Mary-Lynnette winced inwardly, _I'm pretty sure he just forgot about you the day after. HE probably _did_ think it was a one-night stand…and three years later? Like, hello? _But Mary-Lynnette considerately kept her thoughts to herself, since it'd probably just fuel the vampiress' anger.

As Blondie ranted – yeah, she just kept going – Mary-Lynnette looked around and happened to notice Adam lurking in the shadows. Her heart leaped a tiny bit with hope – until he saw that he was gazing adoringly at Blondie.

Realization struck. Mary-Lynnette knew how Blondie got Adam to help her. _She seduced him_, Mary-Lynnette thought bitterly,_ with a promise to turn him into a vampire._

Adam glanced at her and their eyes met. _Help!_ She tried to project at him. Instead, he merely broke eye contact and said blandly, "Mistress, her ropes may be coming loose. Perhaps you should tighten them."

Blondie stopped in the middle of her tirade, oblivious to the fact that no one was listening. "Hm? Oh yes, fine." She waved a hand and some burly vampire henchmen darted forward to fix Mary-Lynnette's ropes.

Unable to hold back, Mary-Lynnette cried out, "Adam! You're a human; I'm a human. Why won't you help a fellow human?"

Glancing at Blondie, he licked his lips in anticipation and sneered, "Well, hopefully I won't be _vermin_ much longer. Eternal love is too good an offer to pass up."

Mary-Lynnette stared at him in disgust. "Oh my Goddess, no way. You slept with her."

He smirked.

All of a sudden, Blondie was in her face. "Excuse me, was that an insult?"

Mary-Lynnette regretted speaking out. She cursed herself for being so stupid. Nonetheless, she mocked, "If I'm such stupid and lowly vermin, then I'm sure a genius like you can figure it out."

Blondie scrunched up her face like she was really thinking about it. Then she gasped and glared at Mary-Lynnette, who grinned back. Snapping her fingers, Blondie called sharply, "You know what? She's getting annoying. You guys can have her. But leave some for me!"

In a flash, Blondie and Adam were gone. With her ropes newly tightened and a gang of very bad muscular vamps advancing on her, Mary-Lynnette was very much trapped.

_Help!_

. . .

Ash nearly tripped over himself when he felt the pull on his chest – it was the silver cord! A cry for help echoed in his mind and he knew it was Mary-Lynnette.

He tried to send an answer back. He poured all his love and protection into their bond, hoping she got it.

He sprinted faster.

_Hold on, Mary-Lynnette! I'm coming!_

. . .

Mary-Lynnette was surprised to feel a tug on the silver cord and a wave of warmth washed through her. It was Ash! He'd heard her plea.

But her fear didn't diminish, thought she tried to hide it. The vamps were getting closer and she was utterly helpless.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

_Ash Please save me!_

_

* * *

_Almost at the end! One more chapter to go, I think! :D Bear with me!

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

* * *

© Copyright 2011 by The Siege :D


	16. Chapter 15

Here's the last chapter! TT_TT Before I let you read, I wanna say thanks to all my precious reviewers: THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU GUYS, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU READ MY STORY, EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE IT. **THANK YOU!**

Disclaimer: It's chapter 15 already, and I still don't own anything from Night World...Love you, LJ Smith! :P

* * *

Ash was almost there. _Just…a little…farther…_

When Ash had walked Mary-Lynnette to work earlier, Café Eternal seemed too close. He'd wished that they had more time to talk and just be together.

Now, the café seemed to be at an unreachable distance, a forever away from him that he never seemed to get closer to. HE glimpsed the shadowy building way ahead of him, but it felt like he couldn't even get there, much less get there in time to save his one and only.

Still, Ash ran.

Finally a (human) lifetime later, Ash reached the door. It was locked and bolted and shuttered but Ash didn't care. He forged on without a second thought.

He ran at full speed into the door, headfirst.

The door fell away like paper, and Ash didn't even register the pain; it was only when a trickle of blood dripped into his eyes that he realized – dimly, as if only his subconscious was aware of it – that he was hurt.

He didn't care. All he could think of at the moment was _Mary-Lynnette, Mary-Lynnette, Mary-Lynnette._

Suddenly, he halted. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air.

. . .

Mary-Lynnette heard a crash. She couldn't tell where it was, but she hoped it was Blondie and Adam trying to do something inappropriate but only succeeding in knocking stuff over. Slaphappy with an adrenaline high, she giggled manically. She sounded crazy, even to her own ears, thought her thoughts were too messed up to think about it.

The brawny vamps were a foot way, but they stopped in confusion when they heard her insane laughter. Then they shrugged and continued moving slowly closer to her.

They'd been doing that a while. They circled her, getting closer, stepping back. It was a dance, but they danced alone.

They were playing with her.

Crazy though she may be, Mary-Lynnette wasn't _totally_ helpless. She was not about to wait for her knight in shining armor to rescue her, while she wept elegantly among axe murderers…even though she wanted to.

One vampire got a little too close to Mary-Lynnette, who was sitting on the ground with her hands and feet bound. Luckily, she had gotten her writes slightly looser – loose enough for her to straighten up and jam her elbow, which was neither round nor soft by any stretch of one's imagination, into the closest vamp, who had been bending down a little, probably so he could flaunt his handsomely ugly face.

Her elbow caught him – where else? – right in his "family jewels," and she smirked as she watched him crumple. His face ashen, he clutched at his injured area and gasped for breath. Mary-Lynnette looked on without mercy, because she knew they would not have shown her any.

_Hasn't your mother ever told you not to play with your food? _Mary-Lynnette thought morbidly as the other vamps froze a backed off a little.

Adrenaline raced through her with Triumph on its back.

But not for long.

Out of the shadows, a dark figure jumped her, covering her mouth _and _nose with one gigantic hand. She tried to bite him, but his hand was so big that it completely clamped up the whole bottom half of her face.

Mary-Lynnette could feel her chest constricting tighter as she fought unsuccessfully for air.

Another dude came and jerked her hair, pulling her head back as well.

_Uh-oh_, she thought murkily.

Her neck was completely exposed.

She tried to yank her head back down, but he was too strong and she was already weakened, due to her lack of breath. Not to mention the fact that he had her hair by the roots and tugging even a bit caused her to wince.

"Mistress!" someone called respectfully. "Please, have the first bite."

Mary-Lynnette hazily watched Blondie appear – without Adam, surprisingly. But then Mary-Lynnette noticed that Blondie's fangs were out and covered in blood, along with her mouth and cheeks.

_Messy eater_, Mary-Lynnette thought. She knew somewhere in her mind that the blood was Adam's, who was most likely dead, and she was shocked to feel a spark of sorrow. Then again, Adam had started out nice to her, before he became a vampiress-loving bastard.

Blondie grinned savagely, even thought it was clear she'd just had a full meal. She stalked closer.

Mary-Lynnette's mind faded into unconsciousness.

. . .

With a roar, Ash burst in to the hidden back room of the café. With one swift glance, he took in the scene: Mary-Lynnette unconscious on the ground with a bunch of vampires holding her captive and one dangerous blonde vampiress leaning over his soulmate, poised to bite.

_Not if I have anything to say about it!_ Ash thought as he growled and leaped.

He knocked Blondie away from Mary-Lynnette and into the henchmen who were restraining her. Immediately, the rest of the vampires were on him.

Ash flew into a rage, each vampire blurring into the next until he found himself fighting air. He stopped breathing hard, as he scanned the ground and saw that he'd knocked out everyone – except Blondie.

"Ash."

He turned. And snarled.

Blondie was behind the unconscious Mary-Lynnette. Her fangs were right on Mary-Lynnette's neck and her evil eyes gleamed at him.

Ash took a step. Blondie pressed her fangs harder against Mary-Lynnette's neck until a bead of blood appeared.

Ash became a statue.

"Don't move. Another step and I'll tear her throat our," Blondie threatened.

He didn't doubt her for a nanosecond.

Instead, he calmed himself, slowing his breathing, and said, "Let her go. You're trying to get to me, right? Let her go and I promise I'll do whatever you want."

Blondie laughed harshly. "Yeah, right. You also promised you'd come back for me, but that didn't happen either."

Confused, Ash asked, "Wait…Do I know you?"

With a cry of shock, she out, "Know me? You…we…you…you told me you loved me!"

"Really?" Ash scratched his head. "Uh, when was this?"

"Three years ago!" she wailed. "You…I can't believe…you forgot me?"

Ash sighed. "I'm so glad Mary-Lynnette isn't awake to hear this. She'd kill me." Taking a deep breath, he looked at Blondie and apologized in a bored tone, "Sorry. I'm reformed now, but three years ago, I wasn't. Yes, I forgot you because you were probably just a toy to me. Sorry. If it make you feel any better, you're not the only one."

"So," Blondie's voice hitting the next octave as she screeched, "you _didn't_ love me?"

"Nope. Sorry."

"_Agghhh!_" She forgot about Mary-Lynnette and soared over at him, jaw snapping, fingers scratching.

Ash kicked her in the gut with his right leg. She crashed into the wall on his left, denting it severely.

He strolled over to her, who was now on the ground, clawing for air. He squatted down next to her and looked at her gorgeous, hate-filled eyes.

Shrugging, he complimented, "You're hot and you know it. _I_ know it. But we just aren't meant to be."

Ash stood and started toward Mary-Lynnette, but a claw-like hand grabbed his ankle. Not even turning back, he kicked his foot behind him and felt it connect with the vampiress. Her cry of agony chot through him, but he didn't turn. He just kept going until he was right next to Mary-Lynnette.

He untied her and let her lay a little longer. He hunted around for a phone and found one sitting in Adam's office.

Ash was pretty sure Adam was dead, but he only pitied the human. Against the vampiress, Adam never stood a chance. He was dead the second he met her.

Ash dialed and waited. Someone picked up. "Hello?"

"Rowan, it's Ash. There's a mess and I need help cleaning up…."

. . .

"ASH!" Mary-Lynnette shot up in bed – _In bed? How'd I get here?_ – then groaned and clutched her head as her vision fizzed and her head pounded.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, I'm here," cooed Ash, who was sitting in a chair by her bed.

When Mary-Lynnette's head and eyes cleared, she looked over at her precious soulmate, her perfect match – her knight in shining armor.

Ash was gazing at her adoringly, with a dopey smile on his handsome face. "I love you so much," he murmured. "Thank the Goddess you're alive." He cradled her face in his warm hands.

"I love you too," she whispered back. They sat like that awhile, oblivious to the world.

Then Mary-Lynnette realized she was in her comfiest pajamas. She looked down at herself, then back up at Ash, blushing red as a tomato. "Um, my clothes…you…"

Grinning, Ash leaned back in his chair, letting go of her face, and chuckled. "Nah, Rowan wouldn't let me. But don't worry. One day you'll let me see it all."

"Ash!" Mary-Lynnette threw her pillow at him. Embarrassingly, her stomach growled ferociously right as she threw.

He caught it easily and set it back on the bed, laughing.

"Are you hungry? I'll go make you something," he smirked at her. HE got up to go.

"Wait, I'll go with you. And don't make fun of me!" Mary-Lynnette struggled to get up. Her legs felt like jelly after being unused for so long and she slipped.

Ash caught her.

Just as she knew he would.

Instead of guiding her back to bed, he swung her up into his arms.

The world spun before Mary-Lynnette's eyes. "Eek! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kiss you now," he warned softly.

"Okay…"

Their lips came together in a sweet kiss that quickly turned heated. Mary-Lynnette's arms squeezed around Ash's neck; she clung to him, trying to get closer. Ash's strong arms tightened around her.

When they broke apart, he whispered, "You're mine. I'll never let you go."

"And you're mine," she smiled back, "forever."

Happy, Ash turned and carried her down the stairs.

"Oh, and Ash? We're going on our first date tomorrow. Surprise."

"Yes, ma'am."

_**-fin-**_

_**

* * *

**_Sniffle...I'm tearing up!The story's done...Hope you all liked it! :'D These are tears of happiness, people, happiness! ^.^

Don't worry - I'll probably start a new story soon...probably. Hehe. Well, then, I guess you should all review and tell me what you want me to write for next! 'Cause I'm brain-dead.

Oh! And check out Fictionpress, sister site of Fanfiction. It's basically the same as FF, except - miracle of miracles - you create you OWN characters and ideas and everything! Cool, huh? Anyways, I think I'll have something up there within a week. I've got the same name.

Well...It's time to part. But only temporarily! PM me, I love getting messages! :D

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D

* * *

© Copyright 2011 by The Siege :D


	17. Thanks all!

Thank you, everyone!

Night Worlder 13: Thanks for reviewing, like, every chapter. Seriously. Thanks. And I love how you put "LOVE IT. :D" at the end of each comment. All I have to say is: LOVE IT. :D

PrincessRedfern: Ooh, are you related to Ash? :P Say hi for me! Hehe, thanks so much. No need for you to be "devo" anymore!

bookgirl07: L-O-L, girl! Haha, I think I'd have made Mary-Lynnette freak out if she was approached in a flower field by some creepy 30-year-old guy…Anyways, thanks!

the girl who cuts herself: Aiya, I don't think cutting yourself is very healthy…But do you love me forever? Maybe I didn't update soon enough. But thanks! :P

x Jen bbe x: Thanks much for reviewing! :D I'm glad you thought it was cool…I had some doubts! And yes, I know the café name was obvious, but really, I couldn't think of anything that was mysterious, interesting, eye-catching, AND related somehow to vampires. Sorry; I tried!

mandar vortex: Aww, that's so sweet! . Thanks for reviewing and saying that my story was your favorite!

Blonde Awesome M'Jane: "Awesome!" to you too! Thanks much! :D

Bonnie McCullough: I love Ash too! Wow! And I didn't like Adam either, so it's all good now. Kisses from the US! :*

Butterflysparkle1012: Haha, yes, I continued the story! I never leave things incomplete…except…wait, no never! :D Thanks for liking my story!

LissaCanFly: Wow, I wish I could fly! Thanks for loving my story and calling me a great writer…I'm not quite, but thanks anyways! :D

TkMommijiOXkisaHiro: What a full name…I like it! Thanks for being a dedicated reader! :P

crazypsychowings: Maybe you're crazy, maybe you're psycho, but at least you have wings! :D I wrote more! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Ex Oblivione: …I'll see you in school. :D

love it98: Love your name! Awww, thanks for reading and reviewing AND saying this was "the best story you've read in a long time!" You rock! :D

fizii: Hey, poet, is my writing still good? :D Thankees for reading and reviewing!

danielle-redfern: Goodness, another Redfern! I really am popular…:D Yes, they are finally together at last for the rest of their beautiful lives! WHOOT!

Revina-O-Aclarr: Oh my gosh, did I not thank you in chapter 5? Oh, lemme slap myself! TT_TT I'm horrible! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! :D Ash x Mare forever!

_If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice._

~ Meister Eckhart

_Thank you so much for your kind thoughts,  
A lot of happiness they sure brought. _

~Anonymous

_The thanks you deserve  
Wouldn't fit on one line  
So I give you this poem  
To say thanks with a rhyme_

~Anonymous

Thank you all. I love you guys forever! ^.^

Write on. Read on. That's my motto. :D


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